Stony Brook University collected over 112,506 lbs. of e-waste throughout RecycleMania, earning its place as the winner of the competition in that category, for total amount recycled. The e-waste collected is the trash generated from surplus, broken, and obsolete electronic devices such as cellphones and computers.

“It’s easier to trash an old TV rather than process it to be recycled. So taking the top spot in the electronic waste category is especially satisfying as it once again shows that Seawolves always strive to do the right thing, even when it may be difficult to do,” stated Dean Tufts, Vice President for Facilities and Services.

Recycling e-waste reuses parts and materials while preventing components from ending up in landfills where they can contaminate water, soil and air. “Under the leadership of our Recycling and Resource Management, Property Control, Stony Brook Medicine, and the Faculty Student Association, it’s so rewarding to be a part of a campus community that cares enough to take action,” affirmed Tufts.

Stony Brook University was a leader in other areas of the competition, including being in the top 15% of colleges and universities nationwide for both the Food Organics and Per Capita Classic categories.

Read the full story: SBU is First Place Winner in E-Waste Category of RecycleMania Competition | | SBU 

Stony Brook Child Care Services Steps Up to Assist Frontline Workers

When New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York State on PAUSE executive order, providing guidelines on which businesses could remain open during the coronavirus pandemic, child care was deemed an essential service. Ensuring support for the families of frontline workers was a critical goal.

Although child care centers were not required to remain open, Stony Brook Child Care Services (SBCC) rose to the occasion in response to a special request from the Office of the Governor.

To provide essential services during the pandemic, a business must comply with Department of Health guidance and directives for maintaining a clean and safe work environment. Before it could accept children during the pandemic, SBCC closed for two days for a deep cleaning then reopened to currently enrolled families with essential workers. 

SBCC provides more than child care services as such, Mendelsohn said.  “During this pandemic crisis, SBCC teachers offer parents and their children a sense of safety, learning, support, and a touch of comfort.”  

It is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), an organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through the age of eight, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. SBCC earned NAEYC accreditation in 1990 and recently was accredited for another five-year term.

Even parents who are not using SBCC at this time are grateful to know it’s there in the event of changing circumstances.

Read the full article: Caring Through the Crisis 

On May 15, Stony Brook University was recognized by The Andrew Goodman Foundation (AGF) as one of just five Leader Campuses within its national, nonpartisan Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere Network that includes more than 70 college campuses across the United States.

The AGF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to increase student voter participation on college and university campuses across the nation. The organization is named after Andrew Goodman, a 20-year old Freedom Summer volunteer and champion of equality and voting rights who was murdered by the KKK in 1964 while registering African Americans to vote in Mississippi. 

Last year, Stony Brook was one of 123 institutions to receive the Voter Friendly Campus award by NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) and the Fair Election Center’s Campus Vote Project for its continued commitment to increasing the student voting rate on campus. According to Tufts University’s National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, between 2012 and 2016, SBU increased its eligible student voting rate from 43.2 percent to 53.2 percent in presidential elections, with much higher goals for student voting in 2020. These impressive results are due to the sophisticated voter registration, education, and mobilization efforts led by the University’s Center for Civic Justice.

Impacting Change in the Community
Not only has SBU’s program been recognized by NASPA with the Excellence Award for Civic Learning, Democratic Engagement, Service-Learning, and Community Service, but the Center for Civic Justice also developed a nationally renowned student orientation voter registration model and has registered more than 25,000 students to vote, establishing itself as one of the highest achieving programs in the Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere Network.

Read the full story: SBU Designated an Elite Leader Campus by The Andrew Goodman Foundation | | SBU